Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Walking the dog is an integral part of the dog owners day, especially for those of us who don’t have a yard. And for many of us it has become a rote behavior, but walking your dog is an opportunity. It is quality one-on-one time that should not be wasted. Here are some ways to make the most of your daily dog walks:

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

I’ve been talking to a lot of clients about practice lately. People hate practice. Do you remember being forced to practice the piano? What about sports drills? It seems to be in our nature to want to get better at something but to hate the process required to get there. Dog training is the same way. We want our dog to be well behaved but we find it challenging to put in the time it takes to make that happen.

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Dogs were domesticated at least 15,000 years ago. Today Americans keep about 78 million dogs as pets. 78 MILLION! In all of that time, and with all of those dogs, lots of dog knowledge has been accumulated. As in any field of study, we are constantly learning new things and replacing old theories with new evidence. Some of these old ideas have made it into our common beliefs about dogs. Unfortunately, some of these sticky ideas are just plain wrong. Worse yet, some have proven to be very damaging to our relationship with our dogs and other animals.

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

There are several avenues you can use to get a dog. Dogs are available through breeders, rescue groups and animal shelters. All of these options have good dogs available. But before you go to get a dog, you will need to have an idea of what you are looking for.

By Laura SharkeyOriginally published on ArlNow.com
There is was again. Another story about a dog attacking a child. This time it was in Texas. A Border Collie. A five year old. In the face. But location, breed and age don’t matter. It happens everywhere, with all breeds of dogs, and all ages of people.

Monday, June 8, 2015

By Laura SharkeyOriginally published on ArlNow.com
I found myself talking to a lot of people with shy and reserved dogs this week. I was repeating the same advice over and over again so I thought I would share it here.

Monday, April 27, 2015

By Laura SharkeyOriginally published on ArlNow.com
Some dogs react to the presence of specific stimuli with aggressive barking and lunging. When a dog does this specifically in the presence of other dogs, we call it dog reactivity.

There are many reasons why a dog might be reactive. Fear, a lack of early socialization or a traumatic event are just some possible reasons. Some dogs may be reactive on leash but play really well with dogs off leash.

Monday, March 30, 2015

More than half of the dogs in the U.S. are overweight. Much like with people, it is a result of too much processed food, large portion sizes, and just plain overeating.

What amazes me the most about this epidemic is the number of dog owners who simply do not know that their dog is overweight. Check out this awesome chart at projectpetslimdown.com. Once you know your dogs body condition score (BCS) you can make adjustments to their feeding.

Monday, January 26, 2015

Much like in humans, your dog will go through an adolescent phase and this period can be fraught with difficulty. Dogs will enter their adolescent period at around 6 months old, and exit between 18 months and 2 years of age. Smaller dogs tend to mature more quickly, larger dogs more slowly.
During this time you may feel like your dog has forgotten everything they learned in puppy class. You are not imagining it. There is physiological evidence that neural synapses are breaking and reforming at a very high rate. Previously attentive pups will start to ignore you and non-chewers will become destructive maniacs.

Friday, January 9, 2015

Whenever someone gets a new puppy or dog, they are often eager to teach “the basics.” So everyone starts in on the same things; sit, lie down, shake, stay in front of the food bowl, etc. While these are all valuable skills for your new puppy or dog to know, they definitely do not need to be at the top of the list.

Teaching your dogs cues like sit or down, are obedience skills. The premise being that whenever you give a specific cue, your dog responds with the correct position. Responding to cues is important, but what is more important is your dogs general behavior.